It's two weeks after Vermont 50 when I line up in Schenectady for the Mohawk Hudson River Marathon. The course is mostly flat or downhill and is considered fast, and I hope to PR at my second marathon. I know that my training wasn't geared toward a marathon, having chosen Vermont as a focus race and emphasized pure mileage over strength and speed during my training block, but I'm fitter than ever and have nothing to lose by aiming high, since I've already qualified for and entered Boston.

Race morning had been relaxing and stress-free, with my friend Eric and his family driving me to the start of the point-to-point course after I drove the two hours from Keene to Albany. My legs felt good despite relatively few miles in the two weeks leading up to the race, and I was confident that I could hold my goal marathon pace (6:30/mile) for 2hrs50min. My only real concern was my weight: I was about four pounds over my ideal racing weight, due to the low mileage during the two week recovery/taper time and a powerful hunger after Vermont. This may not seem like much, but I could feel the extra weight in training and knew it would keep me from running my absolute best. I was also uncertain about my hydration strategy, which would require drinking from cups at the water stations. I had brought a 10oz handheld for my food (5 watered-down Gu gels) and hoped that I'd be able to get the water I needed without having to slow down too much to drink.

The gun goes off and the leaders settle into a blazing pace. I run 6:15 for the first mile and am already well behind the front runners. I know some of them will fade, but I also know that there are some very fast guys here and it would be stupid to try to stay with them. As it is I'm going too fast, but an uphill second mile brings me back to my goal pace. But then it's downhill through five miles, and the next thing I know I've averaged 6:18/mile for the first five. If I can keep this up I'll achieve the Boston Marathon "A" standard for my age group, 2:45. It feels easy... why not?

I remember the 10-10-10 rule (run easy for 10mi, hit goal pace for the next 10mi, then hammer the last 10k) and resolve to back off a bit from the 6:18 pace, in the hope that I will have enough in the tank for a good final 10k to bring me in at 2:45. For the next nine miles I'm just ticking them off in the 6:21-6:26 range, and it seems to fly by. I pass the half-marathon mark in 1:23:21, just right for a negative-split 2:45 (I'm still thinking this can happen). Just before mile 15 we start a significant downhill, which continues for three miles before practically falling off a cliff approaching the 18 miler marker. By now I've put in four consecutive miles at a sub-6:18 pace and am still deluding myself into thinking I can hit 2:45.

This doesn't last long. Soon we're off the bike path and onto the shoulder of a four-lane road and the sun is beating down. It's been overcast and mild most of the day, but now it's downright hot. I'm also hitting the wall. I struggle to keep a 6:30 pace through mile 20, where my time is just right for a fast 10k to a 2:45 finish. Unfortunately, it's all I can do to run the following splits for miles 21-26 without breaking into a walk: 6:42, 6:56, 7:00, 7:04, 7:01, 6:48.

Owch. Maybe a mile before the finish a runner who had been on my heels for a time passes and I tell him it's all his--we'll be under 2:50 and that's all I care about at this point. I cross the line under 2:50, but barely (2:49:49), and stagger along for a while trying not to pass out. I think I'm suffering mild heat exhaustion, but don't want to lie down in the shade because I'll cramp up. I ask the med tent for ice but they won't give it to me unless I get checked out. I decline and walk around for a few more minutes before deciding I really need the ice, and it immediately helps. After hanging out in the shade for a while with the ice on my neck I feel much better, and am able to start drinking some Gatorade.

I spend the next hour and a half either walking around or stretching, and drinking more Gatorade and some chocolate milk. Eric finishes with a friend and we find his family, hanging out in the shade while he recovers and I start eating some real food. It's fun to have some company after running pretty much alone all day. I'm feeling surprisingly good after such a tough race, and am happy to find that I'm first in the 30-34 age category (11th overall), which gets me a nice Adidas gym bag that will come in handy. By the time we've walked back to our cars I'm pretty loose and ready to tackle the 2hr drive home. I'm excited about the race despite blowing up at the end and employing the opposite strategy from the conservative one that worked for me in my first marathon. It was a good learning experience and I still managed to PR and meet my primary goal of a 2:50 marathon.